How do I find out about concerts? How do I get more details about something I heard over the air? How do I submit events to WORT’s Music Calendars? Who do I contact with changes or cancellations?

WORT’s Music Calendars are a great resource to find out about concerts in all genres and places. Usually you’ll find details in the online listing or links to get more information. There’s a link to to submit your event at the top of the calendar page. You can also submit events, changes and cancellations to calendar@wortfm.org.

Contact Information

Music Director: Sybil Augustine – musicdirector@wortfm.org (for music submissions, charts and tracking, promotional exchanges for music events and following up on volunteer applications or other requests. Please include specifics in your subject line, such as “Hiphop Music Submission” etc, )

How do I get my music played on WORT?

We accept submissions in most genres and styles of music, focusing on noncommercial, out-of-the-mainstream, independent releases (check out our playlists and music charts for more information.) It may take up to a few weeks for us to review and process your submission so we appreciate your patience, and feel free to contact us to follow up. Please send your music, indicating any tracks with language that needs to be aired after 10 pm and including a one-sheet description and any biographical and tour information, to WORT Music Director, 118 S. Bedford St, Madison, WI 53703 and/or to musicdirector@wortfm.org.

We do accept digital files on .wav or mp3, but currently we still prefer CDs to digital submissions because it’s the quickest way to get it into the hands of our programmers and onto the airwaves, though we have a growing digital library. Digital submissions should be .wav or other lossless files, or high quality mp3s [128-320 kbps.]

You can follow up or “track” your submissions by email, or call 608-256-2001 on Wednesdays between 1-4 pm CST to ask if we received it, has it been reviewed, has it been added to our library, and what kind of airplay it’s getting—e.g. light, medium, heavy or charting. Thanks and we look forward to hearing your music!

WORT Music Playlists

What was that song I heard? Who was the artist, what is the album title, where can I get it? Where can I find the entire playlist for a show?

Click on the Playlists button to bring up a calendar where you can choose any date to find the playlists for that day. If you can’t find the right playlist or the song you’re looking for, your best bet is to call the station the next time that program’s on and ask the host yourself. If that’s not possible we may be able to help you, but please have as much information as possible at hand when you contact us, such as: approximate day and time the music was played, what type or genre of music it was, who hosted the show and any other information you remember about the selection and we’ll do our best to track it down.

Once you figure it out, there’s a “Buy It!” link next to each track in online playlists that leads you to a place where you can buy songs and albums, and by doing it that way a small portion of each purchase goes to support WORT.

WORT at WOMEX – The European Refugee Crisis

Hungary has been in the news lately. The Middle East refugee crisis is sparking quite a bit of controversy in this crossroads of east meets west. The Hungarian government has taken a hard line stance against the refugees, erecting boarder fences with Serbia and Croatia and implementing other tough laws against citizens aiding refugees. While a large influx in refugees may strain the system of a small country like Hungary, erecting fences smacks of xenophobia. It is ironic that Hungary was the first country to tear down fences in May of 1989 when it opened its border with Austria, allowing thousands of East Germans to pass freely to Austria and on to West Germany. The Berlin wall fell six months later.

Signatures in support of refugees (Photo by Paula A. White)

WOMEX is an international conference dedicated to an expanded understanding of other cultures through music and folk traditions. WOMEX and its ancillary bodies have issued statements concerning the refugee situation. An excerpt reads:

“…We heavily disagree with state actions at the Hungarian and other European state’s borders and beyond. It is not necessary that people in need suffer or even die at borders and we condemn all violence against refugees as well as actions that prolong this suffering. We call upon the Hungarian government the European Union and all its member states to prevent such mistreatment of people and to take actions to welcome them and help them. We offer our cross-cultural projects as another view to encourage welcoming more refugees and let foreign cultures into your lives as an enriching element – the notion that foreign cultures or religions are a threat is the wrong way!…”

I’ve had the chance to interview a number of Hungarian musicians about the refugee crisis. Without any attributable quotes, I have compiled a composite of their viewpoints as they were fairly similar to each other. The people I spoke with are involved in folk music and are generally welcoming to foreign people and cultures, and express sincere concern for the health and safety of the refugees. While they criticize the government for the hard line attitude and some of the new policies, they were in favor of measures that restrict the number of refugees across the borders. With Hungary as a new EU member, they feel that there is an obligation to the Union to follow the policies for new arrivals of non-EU citizens. They are not against the arrival of refugees, but that they should arrive at certain locations and be asked about their needs and intents, with a common EU policy of where in the EU they would ultimately resettle.